Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Herbology Assignment #4 - Write about someone working hard on something.
The Galleon Competition - "That was so thoughtful of you!" ; Mrs. Norris ; Sci-Fi.
Science!AU
The magic had been stripped off of them and they now live a life of Science. There were no wands, no brooms, no potions, no Hogwarts. After the Second Wizarding War ensued, Muggles have suspected that something strange had happened in Scotland. The damage in Hogwarts had been massive, and the magical barriers against Muggles were lifted from the castle. The wizards were taken into custody and questioning to the Muggles' curiosity and amazement. They were poked and prodded by bizarre Muggle contraptions, looked into under machines and broad casted all over the world. Some wizards and witches, who weren't caught during the investigation, hid in faraway places that no man or woman would ever think of going to.
Mrs. Norris, the cat Argus Filch owned, had not been suspected to be a wizard herself. After the chaos in Hogwarts and the Muggles arriving, she finally took a breath of fresh air in the ruins that was once Hogwarts after months of hiding. Little did she know, a young scientist had seen her acting uncharacteristically for a cat. The young scientist, having seen impossible things go possible before his eyes, thought that maybe she wasn't a lowly cat after all. He then took Mrs. Norris to his own science lab and began poking and prodding as well.
"You aren't really a cat, are you?" he asked the feline, who had it's claws digging onto the smooth surface of his metal table.
The feline begrudgingly shook it's head, teeth bared.
After the short interrogation, she was put into a glass case that was more of a prison cell to her. She could hardly breathe and move around the small space she was given, although food tasted delectable. She thought of saying, "That was so thoughtful of you!" but it crossed her mind that she was held captive.
Weeks had passed and the young scientist observed her for many hours in a day, coming to various conclusions of her feline state. Was it human? Perhaps it was, because she clearly understood what he had asked her. If the cat were transformed back to it's original state, would the feline be a female or a male? Questions buzzed in and out if the scientist's head, the need of answers overpowering him.
After two months of intense research and experiments, he finally held a small vial of deep purple liquid containing what might be the answers to his questions. He opened the glass case which contained the weak cat, urging it to come closer to him.
In the two months that Mrs. Norris was watched over, she had lost the will to live. Her Argus was gone with the Muggles, Dumbledore was dead, her home devastated, so what was left to live for? She was alone under the scientist's probing eyes with her future uncertain. Maybe the potion he was developing could mean her death. Yes, death. That was probably it. Somehow she embraced it. She embraced the idea of breaking free of everything. She thought that maybe, in heaven, she would return to her human state. Yes! She would love that. Maybe death was the right thing for her.
Mrs. Norris weakly stumbled closer to the kind-faced scientist, willing herself to die in his hands.
I'll be dead... Dead, yet human again! Yes, that would be better...
She didn't mind the sharp sting of the needle as it buried through her skin. The contents of the injection slowly seeped through her skin, paralyzing her limbs. It didn't hurt. No pain at all. Maybe this was death. Perhaps, Death was kind to her. She had gone through a lot, anyway. She closed her eyes and braced herself to be lifted to Heaven.
Mrs. Norris opened her eyes to the blinding light.
Light.. Was it Heaven? Why can't I hear the angels singing before me?
"Hello, girl. What is your name?" The same voice asked her, the voice of the young scientist.
No.
"N-No." Her voice came out bleak and raspy after years and years of taking her form as a cat.
"You are human, girl. What has magic done to you?"
No!
Norris was once a beautiful girl. She had bright blonde hair and warm brown eyes. She lived a grand life as a Pureblood and many suitors pursued her. That was until her life turned upside-down. She fell in love with a Squib named Argus, who loved her truly, not for her looks. He saw her in a light that no other man had seen her- in return, his love was requited. Norris' parents, of course, did not approve of their relationship. No pureblood parents would want their daughter to be wed to a lowly Squib! Norris defied their orders and as a punishment, she was transfigured into a cat. Since Argus was a Squib, he could not help his one true love. He tried hard on finding people to transfigure Norris back to her human state, but not one could find a cure to her, not even Headmaster Dumbledore.
Still, Argus cared for and loved her with all of his heart despite her feline state.
Wherever Argus was now, she would find him.